ANTHONY WILSON: Success of two local events depends on us

"Iron" Jack Weiss' nickname is a nod to his stubbornness. It is most definitely not a soft-pedaled way of saying Jack is a lunkhead because he most certainly is not.

Which is why he is re-examining how and even whether he wants to continue producing the Striders Duathlon and the Wool Capital Triathlon each year here in San Angelo.

The owner of Ironhead Race Productions with his wife, Esther, Jack lives and produces most of his races in the Dallas-Fort Worth Dallas-Fort Worth area. Those events typically draw 200-400 athletes.

But, having lived and served in the military here in San Angelo, Jack maintains a soft spot for our community. He founded the Wool Cap Tri here 24 years ago, which makes it Texas' oldest triathlon for Olympic distances (a swim of nearly a mile, a ride of 24.6 miles and a run of 6.2 miles).

He also has been producing the Striders Du for 18 years. So he is committed to San Angelo.

But he's close to having to make a difficult decision.

Striders is no longer a profitable race for him. And, to be brutally honest, we San Angeloans are partly to blame.

Last year, Striders' two races — the long course (a 46-mile ride sandwiched between 5-mile runs) and the short course (5k runs and a 24.6-mile ride) — drew 87 athletes, 33 of whom were from San Angelo.

This year, Striders registered a mere 70 racers with only 21 of those coming from its home city.

The numbers were similar down at Sunday's "Woolman" race. Of the 75 racers, 20 were from San Angelo. That was a decrease from 110 athletes overall and 24 from San Angelo in 2010.

Jack announced at Sunday's awards ceremony that he will be adding a sprint distance race next year for the Wool Cap Tri's 25th anniversary, which should help boost the number of participants. Olympic-distance races are tough; typically only the most dedicated triathletes are willing to take on a race that may require 2:30 to 3 hours to complete.

After collecting her plaque for winning the women's master's division championship, the Bombshell thanked Jack for continuing to produce great races in San Angelo. Jack appreciated that, but said he's unsure if he'll stage Striders here again in 2012.

If he does, we need to show up in full force, San Angelo.

I've heard the excuse for not doing these races. They include:

"I'm training for another race." OK. But is that workout going to help you any more than spending two- to three-plus hours moving at race pace?

"I can't afford it." OK. I understand that logic for the out-of-towners. But keep in mind that when you race here, you're not spending anything on room, board and gas. Plus you are guaranteed a grade-A race experience and a great-looking Dri-FIT race shirt.

"I don't like Jack." OK. Jack is Tough with a capital T (although he and Esther have always been more than generous to me, the Bombshell and the Big Man). But no one — no one — runs a better race than he does.

Jack's courses are always challenging, well-marked and superbly supported. His workers and volunteers are a well-oiled machine. His races always start exactly on time. Results are compiled quickly and accurately. The awards are passed out in a timely manner. And Jack always provides ample food and drink for the racers afterward. I'm a huge fan of Ironhead Race Productions.

"I don't feel like it." OK. But don't be surprised if next year, when you do feel like it, the opportunity is no longer there.

I'm certainly not suggesting that everyone has to toe the line every time someone breaks out a clock and a starting gun in San Angelo. But these races are not your run-of-the-mill 5K. Abilene, Midland and Odessa don't have the opportunity to host du's and tri's produced by a professional race outfit. We should embrace Striders and Wool Cap while we can to ensure their success and their continuation.